Autumn 2019

Line of Defence Magazine - Digital Edition

Earlier this month, the lives of 50 people were inexplicably cut short, and New Zealand came face-to-face with an evil it had hitherto only seen from afar. Families, communities and the nation are privately and collectively grieving while trying to make some sense of what happened and what the future now holds.

In this issue of Line of Defence, providing their thoughts in relation to the events in Christchurch of 15 March are Dr John Battersby, Dr Richard Shortt, Dr Bridgette Sullivan-Taylor and Dr Layla Branicki, specialists in terrorism, national security and intelligence, extreme events and individual and organisational resilience respectively. It is an interdisciplinary panel offering sober analysis and thoughtful perspectives on the way forward.

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In Defence, we interview Paul Jordan, the NZDF’s CIO on the CIS Change and Transformation Programme, described as the largest and most complex business change programme Defence have ever run. We also gain a truly fascinating insight from Sheryl Boxall into the NZDF’s Strategic Foresight Programme, which generates insights about the future so that the NZDF can make better decisions in world of change and disruption.

Plenty also in the International, Border and Homeland Security sections. In the latter, we gain two very different perspectives from security consultants David Horsburgh CPP PSP PCI and James Knapp on the report of the State Services Commission inquiry into the use of external security consultants by government agencies.

I am delighted to announce the establishment of the Line of Defence Editorial Advisory Board. Commencing with the upcoming Winter 2019 issue of the magazine, the EAB will provide valuable advice on the editorial direction, ensuring that our content is the best that it possibly can be.

And lastly, a shout out to Government, Defence, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services and Health Services personnel and volunteers who are working under extraordinary circumstances to carry New Zealand through these darkest of days.